In my Equestria dreamscape Applebloom slowly awoke in her bed the morning after her transformation in the Everfree Forest [link] . For awhile she just laid between linen sheets and the down comforter and stared up at the ceiling. The down pillow beneath her head felt really good. Although she regretted not removing the bow from her hair before going sleep again. At this rate it was going to get ruined. The room was still dim and silent except for the ticking of her alarm clock. Slowly Applebloom's mind began to sort, organize, catalog and decipher what had happened to her last night. It had a surreal, delirious quality to it like some fever dream, and she was uncertain what had been real and what was from her sleep. At least unlike most morning since her return from that land of shadows she didn't feel the general apathy and malaise that made her so indifferent to everything expect her personal studies and research. In fact this morning she was feeling fairly good except for a strange tingling and throbbing sensation beneath her bangs. Without even thinking she rubbed one of her front hooves on her forehead. She quickly pulled it back as a searing pain shoot across her skull.

"I would not touch that for awhile." Said the voice in her head. The voice of her "close" friend. "I am helping to accelerate the healing but it will tender for a while especially when I need to come out to feed, but that will diminish with time. Beside that how are feeling this morning dear?" Applebloom thought for a moment then spoke softly. "Well except for my.." "Now Applebloom what did I say about us communicating." Said the voice from within her. "There is no need for you to vocalize your thoughts. Just share them with me. It is faster. It is more elegant, and it is more discreet and private. We don't need other nosey ponies pestering us with unwanted questions and judging us for things they can't begin to understand. Right?" The whites of the little filly's eyes went black. "Yeah" She thought. "Ponies couldn't survive unless someone rose and set their silly sun for them everyday. How could they begin comprehend what they were trying to do." "Exactly." Purred the voice within her.

Still a concerned look crept across Applebloom's face. "I am uncertain though about one thing from last night though. Did we….uh…the rabbit…did we." "Did we kill it." Replied the voice frankly. "Yes we did [link] . Remember I said I needed to feed if I was going help you with our studies and research." The little filly looked downed at her hooves. She half remembered washing them clean along with the rest of herself by a stream before heading back home from their excursion. She also remembered her hooves with blood on them. She remembered licking them clean with her own tongue. She remembered it being salty, sweet and warm. She remembered lowering her head toward the carcass and….. "Is that really the only way though?" She thought. "If you need me to eat more of the spinach or something else I don't mind…." The voice chuckled softly inside her. "Thank you for the offer but I already told you that this was necessary for me to survive in your world. After all it was I who saved you when you were trapped in the Kingdom of Shadows wasn't it? Remember you agreed to help me survive here, and in return I agreed to help you escape and teach you how to never be helpless again. Wasn't that the agreement we both made? Applebloom." The little filly laid silently in her bed. The voice of her friend continued softly her mind. "Besides ask yourself this. Didn't you find it just the least bit thrilling, desirable, exciting? Do you not feel the slightest desire to do it again? Hmmm?"

As the voice said this the little filly felt a warm, pleasant feeling spread across her mind. It had been very exhilarating for her. Quietly stalking their target through the falling snow. Moving silently through the night. Flowing from shadow to shadow almost like water. Why the rabbit hadn't even realized they were on top of it until was to late. It had been so easy, and really it did not suffer since they killed it so quickly. It wasn't like they had been cruel, and her "close" friend did need to survive. What was more important her friend or some rabbit? No! Her friend had saved her when no else had been there to help her and he had given up everything to be her with. This was the least she could do. Besides her friend said they were on the verge of some amazing revelation! However they could only make progress if her friend was strong enough to guide her on the path of discovery.

Slowly a smile spread grew across her face. "Yes." Thought Applebloom. "I did enjoy it. Will you need to feed tonight?" "No. That won't be necessary." Said the voice within her. "I will not need to feed for a couple days, but thank you for the thought though. It is very "kind" of you to do that." Applebloom felt an great feeling of joy satisfaction at her "close friends" comment. It left her with a desire to do more for it so she bask in that wonderful feeling some more.

Unbeknownst to Applebloom her "close" friend within her was quietly and gently stimulating the parts of her brain at precise moments that caused pleasure and happiness when it planted certain thoughts and ideas in her mind. In its own thoughts it chuckled coldly. "Oh! The young one are always so pliable and easy to bend to your will. Oh you'll help me little Applebloom. In the end you'll help me do everything. Everything "I" want and I'll make certain you have a wonderful time doing it to the very end!" Chuckling to itself it started planning out the little filly's next lessons. "So much to do and so far to go!" To be continued.

And when this thing gets what it wants? Will it leave Applebloom in peace or try to "dispose" of a burden?

I imagine it'd probably kepe her around just to amuse itself with her horror -- "Oh, Applebloom, don't feel so bad about what we just did to Sweetie Belle. Remember what you did to your wretched sister, after all... Ahh, good. Feed me your despair..."

Yup. I knew it. Applebloom killed/ate the rabbit! I'm scared ...though this reminds me of an experience/dream I had once It wasn't this serious, not quite, but it did trouble me for quite some time before I recently figured out how to deal with it. Indeed, I'm still recuperating.

(Also, if you didn't get my note, my internet has been really unreliable for the past few days and it sometimes prevents me from sending/receiving messages online. I may not have gotten your dreamscape explanations if you sent them within that time.)

Yeah, just from Bloom's reactions I figured her "friend" was manipulating things, and probably had been for a while. Either now it felt it was "safe", or had gained enough energy from Applebloom, to make it's presence known and felt. After all, it had to be sure it could control it's "friend", right?